# Drawing Run vs Alchemy DIY

The clearest difference is rating: Alchemy DIY at 4.9 against Drawing Run's 4.1. Alchemy DIY also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (8.9K vs 9). Drawing Run's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Alchemy DIY holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Alchemy DIY has 8.9K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Drawing Run's written reviews are positive against 67% of Alchemy DIY's.

Drawing Run ships an update every 7 months, Alchemy DIY every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drawing Run | Alchemy DIY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing-run/id1629595869/reviews) | **[4.9 (8.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alchemy-diy-magic-lab/id6451245111/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **8.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **67.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 164 MB | 175 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [帅 袁](https://appshunter.io/developer/1447999590) | [9UP COMPANY LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1846108017) |

## What reviewers say

### Drawing Run

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing-run/id1629595869)

Help famous painting characters recover their lost faces by drawing them. This puzzle game offers a large gallery of characters and humorous emojis to choose from. Enjoy creative fun anytime, anywhere.

**Highlights:** Draw faces on famous paintings, Large gallery of characters, Humorous emojis, Creative drawing gameplay, Offline play available

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Alchemy DIY

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alchemy-diy-magic-lab/id6451245111)

Combine various emoticons and icons to create unique new ones. Swipe, swap, and match to discover intriguing combinations across categories like smileys, animals, and cuisine. Save and share your creations with friends and family.

**Highlights:** Combine and match icons, Create new unique icons, Save and share creations, Over 1,000 different icons, No time limit

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fun and entertaining
- 👍 Engaging and creative gameplay
- 💎 Unique emoji mixing mechanics
- 🎨 Wide variety of emojis to create

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Too many ads interrupting gameplay
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤔 Lack of clear instructions or tutorials

**Reported bugs**

- Progress not saving properly
- Glitches when trying to mix certain emojis
- Ads sometimes prevent returning to the game

**Requested features**

- Add option to disable ads
- Improve saving and progress tracking
- Expand emoji library with more options
- Provide more customization and personalization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drawing Run free?

Drawing Run is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Alchemy DIY free?

Alchemy DIY is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Drawing Run or Alchemy DIY?

Alchemy DIY is rated higher. Drawing Run averages 4.1 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Alchemy DIY averages 4.9 from 8.9K ratings.

### Do Drawing Run or Alchemy DIY have ads?

Both Drawing Run and Alchemy DIY show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drawing Run or Alchemy DIY?

Drawing Run ships an update every 7 months, and Alchemy DIY every 4 days. Most recently, Drawing Run was updated on October 14, 2026 and Alchemy DIY on October 21, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*